YouAlberta
It’s September and that means the start of the fall term and another academic year here at the U of A. It’s an exciting (and possibly overwhelming) time as many of us orient and reorient ourselves away from summer and back to academic life. We all want to survive this period, but with a bit of a plan, we can even thrive. How can someone do this? While it depends on our own personal circumstances, I’ve compiled a few tips that could be helpful for many of us during this time:
Set some goals
Goals help us a lot, and when I set some goals for the summer, I found that they helped me achieve what I wanted to over the past few months. Setting a few goals for the fall term (or the entire academic year) could be just what you need to make the most of it and get where you want. Some ideas could include:
- Creating a study/reading schedule
- Taking a workshop through the Academic Success Centre
- Getting a good start on a career by attending Careers Day
- Checking out Clubs Fair to find a new group and connect with people
Get ready early
There are many things I know about myself, especially the fact that I am not a morning person. At this point in my life, I’m not going to change it, so I use a number of adaptation strategies, with “being ready the night before” being the key to success. For me, this means having everything I need in a backpack near the door, including a packed lunch, my wallet, ONEcard and keys, ready to go before I go to sleep.
Familiarize yourself with supports and services
The U of A offers so many services that help students and enhance their experience. It’s often best to know where a service is and what it offers before one needs to use it. So, if you find yourself thinking, I’d like to make a plan for my career this term,” check out the Career Centre and find out about the events, programs and services that they offer.
Make new friends
Maybe you’d like to build a new social circle, or maybe you’d like to expand upon an existing one. Whatever your reasons are, making friends can add a lot to someone’s time at the U of A. I wrote about this in a blog post previously if you’re looking for tips, but the quick suggestion is to try out some new clubs or just talk to people sitting near you in your classes. Friendship may happen so quickly it’ll surprise you!
Find a hobby
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the changes going on with the transition back to the academic year, no need to add more to a packed schedule. But if you’re feeling adventurous or a little bored, why not try a new hobby? Something like climbing at the Wilson Climbing Centre can be a lot of fun and add a bit of variety to a life packed with academics.
Leave some time for yourself
Amidst all the excitement, change and stress that this time brings, don’t forget to take some time for yourself to disconnect and relax. If you have something that brings you joy, find a bit of time to do it and refresh yourself. Personally, I really enjoy running on the river valley trails near North Campus through September and October when the leaves are turning from green to gold and the crisp air is refreshing.